How to Clean LED Screens and Walls

by | AVL Projects, Operations, Production, Video

LED walls are increasingly popular in worship spaces, and they have a variety of uses. However, like everything else in your church, they need to be cleaned. If you’ve cleaned windows, TVs, or computer screens, you know that the irony is, cleaning them may leave dust, streaks, or film that would reduce the clarity you rely on. So how do you clean your LED screens properly? We’ll break it down step by step.

Turn it off

With all electronics, from phones and computers to TVs and monitors, turn off the device before cleaning it. This holds true for LED walls and other products. There are multiple reasons for doing this, most of them related to the interaction of electricity and moisture, as well as the sensitivity of the screen, but really all you have to do is just remember to turn off the unit before you clean it. Note: To be extra safe, if you can, unplug the unit.

Choose the right solution

There are many solutions and cleaners out there to use on your electronics, and many of them are fine. But really, all you need is a solution of rubbing alcohol and water. Maybe you mixed up this solution at the start of the pandemic when cleaning products were in short supply. If not, you can use this solution to not only clean your screen, but also sanitize surfaces to prevent transmission of cold, flu, and other viruses. Fill a spray bottle with 2/3 rubbing alcohol and 1/3 water. Your local store is likely to have rubbing alcohol in concentrations of 70% and 90%, and either are fine. Note: Do not spray the solution directly on your LED screen. This could damage your screen.

Get a good cloth

It’s important to choose something to wipe your screen with that’s absorbent, soft enough to not scratch the screen, and won’t leave lint or fibers. Microfiber cloths are the perfect choice. They work great at preventing smudges and they dry quickly, so you can use them again and again. Simply wipe the cloth on the screen, then continue wiping down all the surfaces of the LED, including metal and plastic. Try to remove any loose dust in an initial wipe. Next, spray the solution on the cloth and wipe again, starting at the top of the display and working your way down. When cleaning anything, always clean from the top down, not the bottom up, so that lint, dust, and moisture fall away.

Let it air dry

Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned your display, let it air dry at room temperature. If you used a good cloth and didn’t saturate it with solution, it shouldn’t take more than a minute or so.

Turn it back on

When you’re sure your LED wall is fully dry, plug it back in and turn it on. It should work as good as new.

The process is easy, and should be part of your regular scheduled maintenance to keep your LEDs running properly.

Sign Up for Connections, the Worship Facility Newsletter!

NEW THIS WEEK

The Lonely Life of Worship Musicians

If you've spent any time on social media lately, I'm sure you've seen lots of content created by worship musicians. Typically these are short clips with a POV camera showing the musicians doing their job. Sometimes we get a glimpse of their equipment, but for the most...

Putting Philosophy to Work

Part of my day job as the Director of Marketing for Allen & Heath USA involves traveling out to music festivals and tradeshows across the country to support the brand and capture content. I happen to be writing this article from the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas,...

How St. Ignatius of Loyola Cut Energy Consumption by 40% 

At St. Ignatius of Loyola in Spring, TX, a bustling parish with over 4,000 families and 80 ministries across six buildings, managing the facility was a formidable challenge. The facilities team, comprising just three staff members, was overwhelmed with manually...

AVPro Edge Introduces the AC-MXNET-10G-SW24C 10 Gig PoE Switch

AVPro Edge (avproedge.com) has introduced the AC-MXNET-10G-SW24C, a 24-port 10 Gig hybrid PoE++/PoE+ first-of-its-kind switch for A/V professionals; providing category-defining performance, features, and world-class reliability. This 24-port 10 Gig switch seamlessly...